Selecting the Best: 2023 Retailers’ Choice Awards at NHS

Now in its 57th year, the Retailers’ Choice Awards honors innovative and cutting-edge products from the National Hardware Show (NHS). The awards are hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) and selected by a panel of independently owned retailers from hardware, paint and lumber operations. Out of the thousands of products on the NHS show floor, only around 30 products are given the Retailers’ Choice Awards honor each year.

Dan Tratensek, NHPA COO and publisher, says NHPA purposefully asks retailers to choose the products rather than editorial staff because retailers can provide real-life input on what would work in their stores with their customers.

“Our livelihoods don’t depend on finding the right products, but our retailers’ livelihoods and businesses do, so it’s neat to have them pick the award-winning products. It means a lot coming from them,” he says.

One of the judges, Alexandria Lavaroni, manager of Treat’s General Store in San Andreas, California, said she walked the Show floor with her mom and brother looking for products to nominate.

“They are big shoppers, so it was great to have their input when picking Retailers’ Choice Award nominees,” Lavaroni says.

Another judge, Tiffany Baum, senior director of retail management for City Mill Co., Ltd. in Hawaii, says she enjoyed walking the Show floor with her team.

“We walked the floor as a team and approached finding items based on products we need and where our company wants to go,” she says. “Items in storage and organization, eco-friendly and sustainability caught my eye.”

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony on the NHS Backyard stage. Winners receive a plaque recognizing their product’s distinction and the Retailers’ Choice Logo to use in all their advertising or promotions for the winning product. Each winning product will also be featured in a special Retailers’ Choice Awards product section in the April 2023 issues of Hardware Retailing and Paint & Decorating Retailer magazines.

Read highlights from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of the Show and check out this year’s winners: